Cooperstown tops S-E in OT

SHERBURNE – Sherburne-Earlville won a game earlier this season with a buzzer-beater, and as a result of a Cooperstown buzzer-beater, went on to lose a non-league game to Cooperstown Thursday.

The Redskins’ Ethan Bliss banked in a three from just inside halfcourt to force the extra four minutes. From there, Bliss hit two more threes and Noah Sims added a trifecta helping the visitors dominate the extra period.

Bliss finished with seven three-pointers and a game-high 31 points. “What it boiled down to was that we committed too many turnovers in the last quarter,” said S-E coach Kevin Vibbard. “And we were a little sloppy on defense giving up 16 free throws.”

S-E opened a 10-point lead heading to the fourth getting eight points apiece from Austin Jasper and Matt Smith in a 27-15 third stanza. Jasper finished with 20 points, and Smith totaled with a career-high 19. The Marauders were without second-leading scorer Sam Caton, who was out with an injury.

“We had our chances to win, but the good thing is that this wasn’t a division game, and we’re still first in our division,” Vibbard said.